Summer Transfer Romance

It's summertime, which means it's transfer season for the European clubs and leagues. Transfer season is just like a summer romance. Lots of break-ups and hook-ups are happening. Even more rumors of break-ups and hook-ups. Some are true, most are false. Some hearts are broken only to then be healed by the rumor of a new romance. Many new romances are full of hope and optimism. You don't quite know how it will play out in the long term, but it's the start of a budding relationship so you are excited and believe that only great things lie ahead. In a few months it could all end miserably. But at least for the time being, it's July and things look good.

Liverpool fans are really running the gauntlet of emotions this summer. Lots of signings, lots of departures. Not to mention the ongoing saga with Fernando Torres. He's the hot girl that is with you, but sort of has a wandering eye. On one hand you want to just say good riddance to her and that she should just leave if she wants to. You think you would be better off with someone that wants to be with you and just you. Plus, it's summer, so you feel confident of your possibilities. But on the other hand, she's really hot and you don't really want to let that go. Frankly I don't know where most Liverpool fans stand with the Torres issue. No team wants unhappy players. But can you really compete without Torres? Many fans may not like that he's looking elsewhere as they think that he should feel honored to play for the wonderful and storied Liverpoool. Whatever their outward opinion, I think deep down they know they need him and that they'll have to live with the wandering eye.

If you are a Barcelona fan, you have once again had a great summer. Barcelona is the guy that is dating the homecoming queen while also dating the head cheerleader and the dance team captain. He's also flirting with the other really hot girl that isn't involved in any outside activities, but is just hot. Basically, all the ladies want him. He's not cheating on any of them as he's not "exclusively" dating any one of them and they all know he has "friends" all over the place. And although he has all the attention he could want and any guy could need, it's rumored that the hot volleyball player (Cesc Fabregas) is now interested. He by no means needs the extra attention, but he still goes after it. Why? Because he knows she's interested and more importantly, because he can. Barcelona is completely stacked and loaded with talent. As great as Fabregas is, they don't really need him. But he, along with most every other worldclass player, seems to be interested in playing for Barcelona. Great coach. Great core of old and young talent. Great team chemistry. Summertime really couldn't be better in Barcelona.

It's hard if you are a Valencia fan. You sold your two best players: David Villa and David Silva. But you knew it was a long time coming as your team is broke. You are just glad they didn't have to sell the team altogether. The silver lining is that you qualified for the Champions League last year. So although your really hot girlfriend bolted on the first sunny day of summer, you are optimistic because you are heading to a new school this year where there is endless potential. But it's cautious optimism at best and basically just trying to cover up the lack of self-esteem. Poor Valenicia. They are holding on to their last string of hope. Hopefully things go well for them. At the same time though, without talent, they could bow out of the Champions League early and not finish at the top of La Liga and their financial woes could really get out of control. You hope for the best at a new school, but the anxiety of the unknown is enough to kill you and ruin your summer.

Real Madrid is having their typical summer. Just a cold, heartless player. Cruising the beach looking for the most attractive eye candy and going after it. Somehow (he's so smooth and has money) the ladies always want to take a ride and seem to wait in line for their turn. It's the most ridiculous summer romance. And it happens every year. He's the guy that goes off to some random summer camp every single week and woos a different girl. All the girls know that the relationship is likely going to be short lived and that they have tons of competition and that they will likely be an afterthought come fall, but they all are interested. Its uncanny. You see it happening year in and year out. You think that one summer he will calm down and maybe take a break and work with what he has and see if he can't take one of current flings and turn it into something meaningful. But nope, summer rolls around and just like the previous year, he heads to the beach or camp and starts the process all over again. Pushing out last year's talent for new, fresh, and often unproven faces.

Not quite sure what to make of Manchester City. He's pulling a Real Madrid and going after a new girl a week and trying to make the most of his summer. But there is a little more of a party edge or feel to it. Real is the guy that dates all of the girls seperately and tries to keep them isolated until they all meet up in the fall and everything blows up. Man City is the rich guy that is inviting all the girls over at the same time for the pool party and bbq. Everyone is having a great time. Which is all fine and good for the summer, but at some point this has to end poorly right? I mean, how many midfielders can one team sign? Are they going to start 5 midfielders and 4 forwards and just play with a sweeper and a goalie in the back? Maybe. Who knows? It's carefree Man City. Live for the moment. You have the money, so spend it. It's summer. You'll figure it out somehow in the fall. And somehow they probably will, and it will likely end up better than most other teams in Europe.

So here we are. There are still 3-4 weeks of summer left for most teams. Plenty of time to do some damage and break some hearts or take on a new romance. It's all very exciting and fun in July when it's warm and life is good. Hopefully the romance still exists come November when it starts to get cold and bleak. Nothing is worse than the temperatures dropping and realizing that your summer of love was just a bad romance. At least there is a bright side. If things are bad, you can always look towards the December transfer window and hope for a nice short holiday fling to come around and get you through the rest of winter.

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Manchester City v. Tottenham: You Couldn't Script It Any Better

For the past six seasons, the same 4 teams ("The Big Four") have finished at the top of the English Premier League: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. They haven't always finished in that order, but it's always been those four teams. What's the big deal about finishing in the top 4? Those teams qualify for the Champions League in the next season. The Champions League is a tournament of all the top clubs from all of the top leagues in Europe. The teams still play in their own league (English Premier League, La Liga in Spain, Serie A in Italy etc.), but in addition, they also play in the Champions League. It's a best of the best league. It's a way to crown the best team in all of Europe. Kind of a big deal. Ok, its a huge deal.

This year, for the first time in a long time, Liverpool won't qualify for the Champions League. There is only 1 game left and Liverpool is mathematically eliminated from making the Champions League. They will likely finish in 7th and qualify for the Europa League (sort of a NIT tournament to the NCAA March Madness tourney. A nice consolation for finishing well, but not nearly the excitement or publicity or glory). The two teams competing for the 4th and final spot are Tottenham and Manchester City. Perfectly enough, they actually play each other tomorrow (Wednesday). A previous game between the two teams earlier in the season was postponed and it was conveniently and dramatically rescheduled for the final week of the season. The two teams do have one more game on Sunday, so the winner of tomorrow's game doesn't necessarily have 4th place locked up, but they control their own destiny.

So here's a look at the two teams:

Tottenham:

There isn't much reason to root against Tottenham. I tried to think of one and couldn't. As far as I (and wikipedia) am aware, Tottenham hasn't finished in the top 4 since the inception of the current Premier League in 1992. The best they have finished was 5th, twice. They have always been a good team, but usually somewhere in the middle of the pack. For the most part, they have likable players. You would really have to try to not like them or have some personal vendetta against one of the players if you were upset that they finished 4th. You may have wanted another team and may not be excited that they made it, but it's sort of hard to hate them. One of those, "Well, I would have preferred Team X, but I don't mind Tottenham and at least it wasn't Team Y that made it" teams.

Manchester City:

Manchester City is a Team Y type of team.

First of all, its worth noting that Manchester City is often called Man City. Their coach is named Roberto Mancini. Mancini. Mancini coaches ManCity. This was the reason he was hired right? It's like someone walking into a job interview being named Joe Dodger or Danny Laker. You have an immediate leg up on the other candidates. Who wouldn't hire that person?

But here is why it's possible to dislike Man City: they have money. And tons of it. Granted, there is a lot to like about Man City and a lot of reasons to root for them. They have long played second fiddle to the other team in their city, Manchester United (the Evil Empire of the Premier League). This isn't even like the Mets play second fiddle to the Yankees. The Mets have at least had success in the past. Man City is more like the Los Angeles Clippers. Just terrible for many years and always right next to the Lakers. Finally, a few years ago, a man by the name of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan bought the team. He's only a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi emirate. The family worth is estimated to be about $500 billion.

Anyways, he bought Man City a couple years ago and like any good owner with endless resources, he started buying many great players. The problem is/was, many were reluctant to go to Man City because Man City isn't part of the Champions League. Some went because the money was good, but Man City couldn't quite attract all the great names. Now however, they are on the brink of being a part of the Champions League. Which is why tomorrow's game is so intriguing. If Tottenham wins, great. That's fun and its a good story for the kids. But if Man City wins, it could dramatically change the Premier League landscape. They could be at the top of the Premier League for years to come. Man City will be a team that has qualified for the Champions League, so all the great players will want to go to Man City because they will get to compete against the other great teams of Europe. On top of that though, the owner has the money for all of those players. If Tottenham wins, their stock will go up and they will probably land some new players. But no one has the resources like Man City. Their owner can go out and buy up all the great players without even noticing. Man City could go to town in the offseason and have their pick of any player. They have the money and they would now be part of the Champions League stage where many of the great players want to perform. There is really no excuse for a player to not want to join. Torres? David Villa? Buffon? Ribery? Robben? The list and possibilities are endless.

Thus, despite their losing history, it's a reason Man City is a "Team Y" and people might not be happy they get in. Man City has essentially bought themselves a birth into the Champions League and will continue to buy their success for many years to come. Doesn't always make a you a likable club. Essentially it just boils down to people being jealous that Sheik Mansour bin Ihavetonsofmoney Nayan isn't their owner, but still, its a reason to root against Man City.

Regardless of the winner, the big 4 are shaken up. It's a bummer for Liverpool fans and Torres lovers (like yours truly), but in this case, any change is good change. Especially when the change comes down to the (second to) last game. Couldn't be scripted any better.

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Weekend Preview: Owen is out, City on the Rise, Real seeks Revenge

Before getting to the weekend preview, it was reported earlier today that Michael Owen is out the rest of the season due to injury. Talk about a career completely plagued with injury. Such a bummer.

He had the ability to do this:



But this is how he will be remembered:



Unfortunate.


The first big game of the weekend is Manchester City v. Tottenham. Both teams are tied for 4th and have a one point lead over Liverpool in the standings. Manchester City is coming off a great win last weekend against Chelsea. A game that featured 6 goals and this awesome move. (For those unfamiliar with the story, it recently came out that John Terry, the player in blue, had an affair with Wayne Bridge's girlfriend, the player in white. Hence the no handshake.)

Tottenham is coming off a win vs. Everton last weekend thanks to this sweet move by Landon Donovan. Doh! My heart actually aches a little every time I watch that clip. So sad. That goal would have tied the game. Just rough.

Anyways, the two teams are currently tied. Both are trying to hold on to that 4th spot, but surely both can hear Liverpool coming up behind them in the standing. If Liverpool wins, then the loser of the Man City/Tottenham game will fall to 6th behind Liverpool. A tie doesn't even help these teams as it would only give them 1 point each and Liverpool would leap frog both of them with a win. A lot riding on this game.

Prediction: Man City wins 2-1.

Real Madrid v. Sevilla

Huge game in La Liga. Real needs the win, but could very well lose for a variety of reasons:

1. Sevilla beat Real earlier in the season when the two teams met. However, that game was played at Sevilla and this game is in Madrid so Real should exact their revenge.

2. Real is only two points behind Barcelona and if they want to win the league this year they know they can't lose or tie to anyone otherwise they won't win the league even if they beat Barcelona in a few weeks. They just have added pressure for each game.

3. C. Ronaldo is already running his mouth and saying that he is sure Madrid will win the league. Again, why add the pressure? You haven't won anything yet. Barcelona is the king of La Liga. Why bother even saying anything at this point?

4. Lyon comes to Madrid on Tuesday. I don't think Real is overlooking Saturday's game, but they know the second leg of their Champions League match up will take place this Wednesday. It's a huge game for Real. To spend so much money and lose this early in the Champions League would be a huge embarrassment and epic fail. Players know it. Fans know it. Ownership knows it.

Prediction: Despite the pressure, Real comes out and thumps them 3-1.


Many other games of course. Those are the two big ones. Hopefully Donovan comes out and redeems himself and isn't scarred for the rest of the season.

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Adebayor - True Beauty in Manchester City's Win

Manchester City beat Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday. Emmanuel Adebayor showed why soccer is often called the beautiful game. More on that goal in a second.

I continue to struggle with the penalty kick given to Manchester City which led to their first goal. I've blogged about this before so I don't want to be repetitive or a broken record. I understand that a penalty is a penalty and that you can't foul someone in the box, otherwise it results in a free kick from the spot for the other team. But I hate when a player is fouled and gets a penalty even though it's unclear if he could have made a play even if he wasn't fouled. I understand you can't foul someone in the box, but if they are dribbling the ball out of bounds and can't make a play anyways, why should they deserve a penalty kick? Granted, it's difficult to tell if Adam Johnson would have kept possession of the ball even if he wasn't tripped. Regardless, the penalty is given and Tevez makes a lucky shot and Manchester City goes up 1-0.

But the real highlight of the night is the second goal scored by Adebayor. It's such a beauty. It comes at the 2:00 mark in the video below. I think the pass is actually from Vieira. Looks like Vieira is turning out to be a decent player for Man City despite the opinion to the contrary by illustrious soccer experts. Not sure what to say about the Adebayor goal. It's one of those goals where you appreciate it whether or not you like soccer. True beauty, no matter the form, rings true with everyone. Receiving that long pass on his chest, turning on the ball before it hits the ground and rocketing it into the back of the net is just magnificent. Golazo? No. Not a big enough moment or stage. But highly skilled and truly beautiful.

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Fair Play Edwin Van der Sar: Manchester United Keeper's Magnanimous Moment

Edwin van der Sar is a tall Dutch goalkeeper for Manchester United. Wednesday night, Manchester United met Manchester City in the second leg of their Carling Cup semi-final. The Carling Cup is a knock-out competition for all of the teams in the top four tiers of English football. Upstart Manchester City has been an afterthought in Manchester, playing second fiddle to Manchester United. Furthermore, Cit hasn't won a major competition since the 1970s when they won the Carling Cup but City's new manager, Roberto Mancini has made winning this competition a priority.

To add to the drama, Manchester United opted not to purchase the rights to Carlos Tevez, who had played two seasons with the club. Tevez was snatched up by Manchester City and said that he felt that United didn't appreciate him. Winning the tie with United was a massive priority for him and he came up big in the first game, scoring twice. For most players, scoring twice against the team that rejected you would be enough, but not for Tevez. He decided to head over to the United sideline and make an obscene gesture at United's Gary Neville, who returned fire with a two fingered salute as Tevez celebrated one of his goals. The two exchanged pleasantries through the media ("Neville is a bootlicker") in the week up to the second leg at Old Trafford, United's homefield.

The stage was set for major drama. The first half was exciting but neither team scored. Manchester City pushed into United's end of the field and forced a corner kick. Craig Bellamy went to the corner to grab the ball. As he went to set it up, the United fans started throwing coins, bottles, and other stuff from the stands. Bellamy grabbed his head and went to the ground as more missiles reigned down from the crowd. That was when Van der Sar made his best save of the night. He raced over from his goal and stood between Bellamy and the crowd, shielding Bellamy from the thrown objects and stopped the crowd in their tracks. As quickly as the missiles started, they ended. Bellamy got up and headed back into the field of play as another player took the kick and Van der Sar went back to his goal.

It was a magnanimous moment from the United keeper that is rarely seen. When the US Men's National Team plays in Mexico, guards must hold up shields to protect anyone who has to head to the corner flag. I don't know that Van der Sar and Bellamy are friends but either way, having a highly respected player come to the aide of a bitter rival took a lot of courage and integrity. It is an act that will have positive repercussions because it sets a precedence of respect, even when it is a hated rival in an important game.

It is interesting to contrast Van der Sar with Gary Neville and Carlos Tevez.

Neville initiated things by saying that United were smart not to resign Tevez because his financial demands were too large. Tevez felt disrespected and used Neville's comments to motivate him for the first leg of the trip, in which Tevez scored two goals. While celebrating one of the goals, Tevez made a gesture at Neville as Neville warmed up on the sideline. Neville returned fire with a two-fingered salute (England's equivalent of "the bird"). Then, later in the week, Tevez called Neville a "boot-licker" and a "moron" before his Manager told him to shut up already.

While it makes for great drama, it is all very petty and superficial. There's not much depth to the man who is so easily disrespected or quick to react to petty gestures, however it takes a strong inner compass to stand up to your own fans to protect a vulnerable rival. That's what Edwin van der Sar did in his magnanimous moment. Fair play to Van der Sar.

Here's the video in full. The highlight is at the 11 minute mark.


Watch Manchester United v Manchester City in Sports | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

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Landon Donovan - Salute Him Again

Well, whether you like the name of our award or not, Landon Donovan was yet again the best American player last weekend and gets our Weekly Salute for his service overseas. Not that he had much competition. Tim Howard is really the only player that you could argue deserved it over Donovan, but he wasn't really challenged in goal (more on this in a bit).

Donovan didn't have an assist like last week or have any direct involvement in any of Everton's 2 goals, but he had a great game. You really needed to see the entire game to appreciate how well Donovan did. Not the greatest player on the field, but definitely proving that he deserves to start and can compete with the best talent in England. Donovan played so well that the Everton coach intentionally subbed him in the 90th minute so that the fans could show their appreciation for his performance and cheer him as he came off the field. The reception was so good that Donovan is already considering extending his stay with Everton to the end of the Premier League season (May) instead of the start of the MLS season (March). Speaking of the fans, after the game Donovan said:

"I've been made to feel so welcome and when you're welcome like that you don't want to let anyone down," he told the Liverpool Echo. It's a sharp contrast to how I felt last year when I was at Munich...

"The atmosphere [at Everton] completely surpassed what I thought, he said. "I guessed if we scored a few goals or were winning they'd be loud, but it was from minute one. They really push you on."

First of all: I'm really curious about his German experience. I still don't understand how it was so bad that he was completely turned off to the idea of playing soccer in Europe.

Second: How did he not know that English fans were this loyal and dedicated to their players? I've never been to a game in England, but I've been to one in Spain and seen a host of games on TV. Even I know that English soccer fans are insanely loyal to their team and that they cheer for their players all game long. Did he really not know this? Did he think that the crowds were the same as the MLS? Doesn't every casual fan of soccer know that the English crowds are this committed? Isn't that half the reason people want to become professional soccer players? To get paid millions, date supermodels and be literally worshiped by the fans?

Anyways, I may never quite understand Landon Donovan, but I am happy to see him playing extremely well and hope that he continues to play at such a high level during the World Cup.


As far as the other team on the field Saturday, Manchester City looked terrible. Everton was playing some of their best soccer of the season, but Man City looked lost for most of the game. It wasn't a good sign when Roque Santa Cruz went down with injury and is out for a month. Robinho came on as his replacement, but his performance was so uninspiring that Roberto Mancini (Man City's coach) subbed out Robinho before the end of the game. A team only gets three subs a game so it's rare that a coach will use a sub on a player that already subbed in. But considering Robinho was invisible for most of the game, bringing on any warm body was an upgrade. No need to worry about Man City though, they recently purchased Patrick Vieira. Despite being in his mid-30s and unable to crack the starting 11 on his previous team, he is the perfect powerhouse to fix Man City's offensive problems (I wish sarcasm was easier in writing).

Anyways, I know the second half of the season just started, but if Man City wants to finish in the top 4, they have to look a lot better than they did last weekend. They got blitzed and overwhelmed by Everton and never really threatened. There is still a lot of soccer yet to be played, but they are on the outside looking in right now and don't have too much room for error.

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The Times Online Agrees with Fastbreak

Today, the Times Online came out and agreed with our opinion that the Patrick Vieira transfer to Manchester City doesn't make sense in their aptly titled article: "Vieira's move to Manchseter City does not make sense." Now granted, the Times doesn't specifically mention Fastbreak Futbol or say that they are concurring with our post. I also can't really prove that they actually visited our site. But we are both respectable soccer sites and we read their stuff so surely they read ours. I mean, we did publish our opinion on January 7, 2010 and their article came out January 8, 2010. How else could they have reached their opinion? Maybe they didn't use random and weird fast food analogies to make their point as to why the transfer doesn't make sense. Whatever. They have their style, we have ours. Potato, Pot"ah"to. Bottom line is that if you respect and read the Times, you might as well give the same respect to Fastbreak. I mean, it's all the same quality content and we are clearly both on the same side of the fence.

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Villa, er, Vieira to Manchester City

Manchester City made a "dollar-menu" move today and signed Patrick Vieira. I just made up that term. It's the best I could come up with to describe a transaction where no one really benefits. Sure, with the dollar menu you get a meal for $3, but in the end, it's really just cheap fast food you are putting into your body, and you aren't really benefiting from that meal. It's a somewhat meaningless transaction. It makes sense at the time and there is usually a short term benefit, but otherwise you are not much better off than if you had just skipped the meal.

The Vieira signing is confusing to me. I don't understand why it works for either side. Vieira is struggling for playing time at Inter Milan. In 18 games this year he has only started 7 of them and come in as a sub for 5 others. He has 1 goal and 1 assist this year. Vieira is 33 years old. He's past his prime, but still feels like he can compete. He wants more playing time so that he can impress the coaches of the French National Team and earn himself a spot on the France team that goes to the World Cup this summer. That's all fine. I understand that he wants a spot on the national team and feels he can still compete. But can he contribute?

Manchester City is currently in 5th place, two points behind 4th place Tottenham. They have had a good first half, but they need an extra spark or missing piece to help them stay strong for another half season and not fade away like most wannabe contenders. I just don't know that Vieira offers that spark or gives City something that they don't already have. City only starts three midfields so I guess that Vieira can come in off the bench for Stephen Ireland or Nigel De Jong. He might start at City as De Jong isn't the greatest player, but again, I don't see how Vieira is much of an upgrade. Perhaps this will benefit Vieira as he may get more playing time, but how does City really benefit?

In an earlier post I argued that Manchester City should sign David Villa. Supposedly Valencia is shopping David Villa as they are hurting for cash. I say "supposedly" because there were various rumors over the summer about Valencia needing and wanting to sell Villa but nothing happened. The rumors have continued right before the close of the transfer window, but again it doesn't look like Villa will actually go anywhere. I thought Villa was perfect for Manchester City and I still think they should have tried to sign him. Maybe they still will. Robinho has been struggling and wants out of City. City has the money to buy him and Villa is an excellent striker that could immediately make an impact and be the help Manchester City needs to get over the hump and finish at the top of the standings.

Who knows, maybe Patrick Vieira will be perfect for City and I'll be wrong. Were this transaction three years ago and a younger Vieira was involved, it would make more sense. As it is, I don't see the reason for the move. I think it's a meal that Manchester City didn't need and could have skipped.

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Available: El Guaje

Available: World Class Striker David Villa a.k.a El Guaje ("the kid"). Comes equipped with diamond earrings, fashionable hair, skinny sideburns and a sweet flavor savor. Currently playing for cash strapped Valencia F.C. and has interest in playing for a top club in the Premier League. He had 28 goals in 33 league matches last year and has 12 in 14 games this year.

Suitors:

Where he should go: Liverpool. They need the help. A player like Villa would do wonders for their offensive attack. Defenses would no longer be able to mainly focus on Fernando Torres. Also, every Spanish National Team fan outside of Valencia would love this move as it would give El Nino ("the child" - Torres) and El Guaje ("the kid" - Villa) 6 months to play together and perfect their chemistry prior to the start of the World Cup. This move would be fantastic on many levels. Sadly, Liverpool is broke and can't really afford anyone right now.

Where he could go: Arsenal, Manchester United. Arsenal lost Robin Van Persie to injury and could use some help at forward. Manchester United brought on Michael Owen and Berbatov in the off-season to compliment Rooney at forward. Both Owen and Berbatov have been as helpful as a t-shirt in a blizzard. Unfortunately, both clubs are also cash strapped and probably won't make the move. Plus, both are currently 2nd and 3rd in the standing and can thus justify that they don't need to make the move. Of the two teams, Manchester United has more of a history of going out and spending the money to get players, so there is an outside chance he could end up with United, but they too are struggling financially so it's doubtful.

Where he would probably go: Where else? The boys with the deep pockets: Chelsea and Manchester City. Both teams have owners with an endless amount of money and both are more than willing to open their checkbooks.

Chelsea is currently sitting with a comfortable lead at the top of the Premier League and don't really need another player at the moment. They might just buy him just to show other teams that they have money when everyone else is struggling. They don't need him, so it wouldn't make too much sense, but anything is possible with their owner.

On the other hand, Manchester City does make sense. The owner is always willing to upgrade and mix things up. Just last week they replaced their manager despite having one of the better starts in club history. The owner is spending a ton of money and determined to finish within the top 4 of the Premier League. A couple years ago they spent a lot of money on Robinho, but he has greatly underperformed. Villa would be the perfect replacement and would likely be interested in the move because Man City has a legitimate chance at finishing at the top of the standings. They are currently sixth in the Premier League but only 3 points back from third place. If you have endless money like Man City, the move is almost a no brainer. Valencia needs to dump him because they need the money. They don't want to send him to another team in La Liga. Man City has a solid lineup, but adding David Villa up top with Adebayor easily makes them one of the favorites in the Premier League.

So make the move Man City. You have the money and could use him. He won't disappoint. Trust me, "the kid" is amazing.

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Battle for Oil Supremacy: Beating Them at Their Own Game(s)

Russian Oil: In 2003 a Russian billionaire by the name of Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea F.C. for a record 140 million pounds. Abramovich by the way is a bad and scary dude. Most businessmen with his wealth are shady people as it is, but add to the shadiness the fact that he is in Russia, where I don't even think murder is considered a crime. Anyways, prior to his purchase of the club, Chelsea had had recent small success in the Premier League. In the 2002/2003 season Chelsea finished 4th and qualified for the Champions League. So they weren't a terrible team before the purchase, but they also hadn't won a league title since the 1954/1955 season. Abramovich pretty much followed the Yankees, Real Madrid and many other professional sporting clubs and came up with a pretty simple and straightforward business plan for success: outspend everyone. Sadly for the fan, most players aren't terribly loyal to their club and most players will follow the almighty dollar (or pound). For every 1 player that might take less money to play with his desired club, there are at least 12 of equal skill that will follow the money anywhere, especially to a team like Chelsea that was already pretty good. So Abramovich started buying up players like crazy. Chelsea won back to back league titles in the first two years of Abramovich's reign. Since then, they haven't won any titles, but they have finished in the top 4 each season and played in the Champions League each season. Two years ago they lost in the Champions League finals to Manchester United, and last year they were literally seconds away to going back to the finals until Iniesta and Barcelona shoved a dagger in their heart with a winning goal in extra time (the announcer in that clip is awesome. Still gives me chills hearing/watching it).

This year is starting off as well as the others under Abramovich's control. Chelsea are currently in first place in the Premier League and have already qualified for the knock-out rounds of the Champions League. They have a team full of players that all play for their country's national team and are literally the best of the best. The players that ride the bench for Chelsea could all start at other clubs only they choose to stay at Chelsea because Chelsea is so good and because, well, as mentioned, they sold their soul and part of their career for the money. That dollar is powerful.

Arab Oil: In 2008 Abu Dhabi United Group Investment and Development Limited took over Manchester City. Fortunately for them, they swim in oil and money isn't an issue in their lives because unlike Chelsea, prior to the recent acquisition of Manchester City, the club was not really close to competing for the league title. Between 2002 and this season, Manchester City finished as low as 16th and as high as 8th. Never a bad team, but always second fiddle in their own city to the powerhouse that is Manchester United. City has been decent, but never close to competing for the league title or qualifying for the Champions League.

Arab Oil also noted that men, soccer players included, want money and figured they could follow Chelsea and buy the best players and championships. The only problem is that while players do want money, they also want to play for a contender, which is something Manchester City was not. Fortunately there was a young Brazilian superstar (shown in photo) who was crying in Madrid because he got his feelings hurt and he was ripe for being bought. Manchester City swooped in, and the process had begun. Other players took note that City had acquired a legit player and within a year they have stockpiled a team full of great players. Ironically, the team got so good that the Brazilian once again got upset that he wasn't playing and said he wanted to leave. Someone gave him his bottle though and it appears he will likely be sticking around.

So on Saturday the Russian Oil (Chelsea) met the newly improved Arab Oil (Man City) for the first time this season and for the first time since Man City made all the player acquisitions. As mentioned, Chelsea has been dominant this season. Man City hasn't been bad, but not quite meeting expectations either. They are currently in 6th place, which is an improvement, but prior to Saturday's game, they had tied 7 games in a row. After all the many player purchases, 6th place just isn't good enough.

But on Saturday they proved that $200 million sure can buy you a lot these days, including a pretty good football team. Chelsea played well, but Man City proved that they can compete with the big boys. Everyone knew that Man City had the pieces to be a true contender this season, but they had yet to prove anything. Saturday they did so in exciting fashion. The game wasn't without controversy of course (what's a good soccer game without some drama?). Adebayor scored for Man City after the ball hit a teammate's hand and play probably should have been stopped. But Chelsea's first goal came from an own goal from Adebayor, so I'm fine with the missed call since Chelsea didn't really deserve their goal in the first place. Plus, Chelsea had the opportunity to later tie the game after Chelsea's forward Didier Drogba was fouled inside the box. The penalty kick however was skillfully blocked by Man City's goalie. The block was so good in fact that he received a kiss from his teammate - as shown in the video below. Chelsea had their opportunities, but didn't capitalize and Man City did.

So hats off to Manchester City. Whether or not you agree with how they got here, they are here and are commanding respect. They took a page out of Chelsea's book and beat them by using their strategy. The real test of course will be when the two teams collide later in the season at Chelsea. Chelsea has yet to lose at home and the season will be in the final stages and every game will be that much more important. Both teams will be competing for the league championship and/or to qualify for the Champions League. At that point we will for sure know if Arab oil is better than Russian oil and good enough to buy a championship.

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English Premier League: Manchester United v Manchester City - Craig Bellamy, Bad Defense, and Michael Owen

In the English Premier League, Manchester City lost to Manchester United in the last minute of extra time after Craig Bellamy equalized only minutes earlier. Michael Owen came off the bench to poke the ball past Shay Given as time expired after the ageless Ryan Giggs sent a perfect pass into the box.

First off, in England, they pronounce derby as "darby." Why? Weird.

Second, Craig Bellamy celebrated a while, punched a fan, and made a fool of himself but that can't take away the fact that he had an incredible game.

Third, Manchester City's defense is terrible. They cannot finish in the top four if their defense doesn't get organized. Why was Michael Owen give that much space? Why were they hoofing the ball up field for the last 5 minutes instead of controlling and passing? It seemed like Bob Bradley took over the Manager's spot for the last 5 minutes and implemented his super secret strategy for blowing 2 goal leads: just boot it.

Watch the Match of the Day highlights here.

Matt

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